Door-latch construction



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Sept. 25, 1928.

. J. E. Slt-OEKLER Doon LATCH cous'rnuc'uon Filed April 2'?. 1927 Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES JOHN EDWARD GLOEKLER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

DOOR-LATCH CONSTRUCTION.

Application led April 27, 1927. Serial No. 186,931.

My invention refers to improvements in door construct-ion and particularly to the latching and unlatching mechanism for refrigerator doors or the like. In such construction the door is usually heavy and of comparatively thick depth for the purpose of closing the space into a refrigerating chamber, and is mounted by heavy .supporting hinges. The closure is effected by the use. of one or more latches of well known construction, operable by an outer handle for opening and closing as the door is swung' on its hinges.

In my present improvement` I utilize, in connection with such door and its framing, mean-s whereby the latch mechanism may be putinto interlocking holding connection when the door is closed; means whereby the latch mechanism may be retained in an elevated free position when the door is open; and means whereby the latch mechanism may be actuated from either the outside or inside, together with various features of detail construction, as shall be more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, showing one preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a face view of a refrigerator door provided with the improved latching mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the swinging portion of the door;

Fig. 3 is a partial inner view of the door -V Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional view on the line IV-IV of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, the door 2 is hung by the usual hinges 3 to one side of the door framing 4;, adapting it to open and close the door opening leading to the interior of a refrigerating chamber or the like, The door as shown is generally of usual construction, having an outer overlapping front portion 5 and an inner extended thickened sealing pertion G. The latter, together with the front 5 and any suitable packing or sealing devices,

f makes close engagement with the surrounding framing of the opening, for sealing and refrigerating effect.

In the construction shown, the door when closed is held by a middle bolt or arm 7 tiltingly mounted within a housing S of woll known construction, secured upon the outer face of the door 2, as shown in Fig. 1. Housing 8 is provided with an operating handle 9 pivoted at 10 in housing lugs, and so connected with bolt 7 that when handle 9 is withdrawn outwardlyV the bolt will be raised.

When the handle. is released the bolt is free to fall by gravity or by spring action into or behind the hasp l1, mounted on the framing 4 for such purpose.

W'hile, ordinarily, one holding bolt is sufficient for a door of average size, the door is frequently provided with several, as three, one above and one below, for'further effectual latching hold. Such supplemental bolts 7 are freely pivoted, as at 1.2, in suitable housings 13 and are adapted to interlock with similar additional hasps 14 suitably located on the surrounding frame. Such series of latching bolts in the construction shown are connected for simultaneous operation by a vertically arranged bar 15 slidably mounted on holding screws 16 inserted through slots 17 thus mounting the bar for limited vertical movement on the edge of the extended portion 5 of the door.

Bar 15 is connected with the several bolts 7 and 7a by extended brackets 18 having free embracing engagement around the latehing bolts 7 and 7a, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. At the bottom plate 15 is connected with a spring 19, by which it is positively lowered to lower all of the bolts together, when the handle 9 iS released.

For the purpose of providing means for opening the door from the interior, handle 9 is adapted to be actuated also from the inside. For such purpose it is provided with an inner extension lever or lug 20 against which bears the thrust rod 21 mounted transversely of the door and extending through to the inside.

The inner ends of bolt 21 is pivotally connected, as at 22, with a lever arm 23. Said arm is pivotally mounted at 24 on a suitable holding bracket 25 and the lever extends downwardly and inwardly at a suitable angle for depressing operation, as shown. The free A end of lever 23 extends through the terminal 26 of an operating lever 27, the inner end of which is freely mounted for rotation in a bracket bearing 28 on the inside of the door.

As thus arranged, arm 27 is of ample length and projects or bows around sufficiently far beyond the inner side of the door 6 to adapt it to be pressed against by the hip or knee of a workman within the refrigerating chamber.

l/Vhen thus pressed, lever 27 and arm 23 are i thrust downwardly and inwardly toward the innereface of the door, pushing against bolt 21 and thrusting lever 9 outwardly to effect unlatching lifting movement of hasps 7 and 7 a, so that the door may be pushed open. The

particular advantage of the feature just described is in enabling a workman carrying a heavy load, as for instance a side oit beet, to operate the latch mechanism without necessity of using either hand.

For the purpose of arresting` and hold-l ablyrmounted by bolt 3l) and horizontal .slot

f ri 5 3l to the edge portion el housing 8 to ensure convenient location :for coaction with the bolt.' Trigger 29, as shown, is provided with an upwardly extending projection adapted to engage underneath bolt 7 to support it when the door is at any open or partly open position. Y

Upon closing the door, the upstanding terminal 32 is thrust outwardly from underneath the bolt, allowing it to i'all downwardly behind and into the oli-set recess 3?) of the trigger. To eiiect such normal sup porting position, and releasing movement, l provide a stem 34; directly connected to the trigger 29 and provided with a terminal button 35 for engagement against the iace oi the frame l on closing.

A spring 36 is mounted within a housing 37, bearing inwardly thereagainst and outwardly against the button terminal B5, holding the trigger iii supporting posit-ion, as in Fig. 4, at all times except when the door is completely closed.

lVhen so closed, however, with sul'lieient force, button makes contact with the training and thrusts the trigger and its extended arml outwardly trom underneath the bolt 7, which 'thereupon drops or is pulled down behind it, eii'ecting the desired interlocking and holding latch connection.

This latter l'eature is ot especial advantage and importance in maintaining` the bolts raised for locking connection with the hasps, avoiding the usual preliminary rictional and binding cont-act, while positively inserting the bolts behind the hasps only when the door is thrust in to its iinal closing position.

The construction and operation ofthe invention will be readily understood and appreciated from the foregoing description, 'and provides a convenient, serviceable and durable latching mechanism 'for the purposes iiifvi'ew.

` lt will'be understood that it may be oha'ngedor varied in detail construction, di-

niensions, number of parts, or otherwise, by the skilled mechanic, but that all such changes are to be understood as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claimis: 1. The combination with an apertured door casing and a h asp thereon, of a door prorecalls vided on its outer side with a latching boli. and a lifting handle therefor, a longitudinally movable operating bar for the handle extending through the door, a lever for the bai pivotally mounted on the inside of the door and vpivoted to the bar, and a loosely mounted horizontally arranged bowed bearing arm lor said lever extending beyond the inside o the door.

rlhe combination with a doorprovided with a latching ba r, or' an L-shaped spring ie-n tracted arresting device 'for the bolt having a guiding slot, a supporting bolt therefor, and a stein adapted to disengage the bolt upon closing tlie loor to move the stein and arresting device on its supporting bolt.

'lhe combination with a Ydoor provided with a latching bar, of an L-shaped spring re? trac-ted arresting device Vfor the bolt having a guiding slot, a supporting bolt therefor, a stein connected with the arresting device having a button `terminal adapted to abut against a hearing surface to disengage the bolt upon closing the door, anda spring engaging the button terminal.

il. 'lhe combination with a door framing and a hasp thereon, or a latehing bolt on the door provided with an operating handle, and an L-shaped supporting'abutment for the latching bolt having a guiding slot, a pin therefor, and a spring actuated retracting stein connected withy the abutment provided with a terminal adapted to engage the trame Vwhen the door is closed to release the latching bolt.

5. rlhe combination with a door framing and a hasp thereon, ot a pivoted vertically movable latching bolt on the door provided with an operating handle, and a slidably mounted ori-set L-shaped supporting abutment ror the latchin'g' bolt having a guiding slot, a supporting bolt therefor, and a spring actuated reti-acting stein for the abutmentprovided with a terminal adapted to engage the traine when the door is closed to release the latching bolt.

6. The con'ibination with a door framing and a plurality ot hasps thereon, or a plurality of latching bolts on the door 'for engagement with said hasps, a connecting bar having slotted connection with all of said bolts for operation together, an operating handle for one ot' said bolts, a slidably mountA ed Lshaped support-ing abutment for the latching bolt having a guiding slot, a supporting bolt therefor, and a spring retracted stem lor the abutment provi-ded Vwith a terminal adapted to engage the trame when the door is closed to release the Vsaid latching bolt and the other bolts connected therewith.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afx my signature.

.roi-in VEnv/tain) GLOEKLER. 

